Majority of big US advertisers use Facebook
The vast majority of the largest advertisers in the US are using Facebook to market themselves.
The social networking site says 83 of the top 100 marketing spenders in the US use the site including firms such as Johnson & Johnson, Nike and AT&T, according to the Financial Times.
The report suggests a turnaround in strategy in the US as companies were initially reluctant to advertise on Facebook though fear that users were hostile to seeing marketing messages on the site.
The site has also been urged in the past to do more to assure brands that their ads will not appear next to controversial content.
According to the report, brands are eschewing banner and display advertisements, preferring more subtle ways of communicating with potential consumers.
Companies are inviting users to become “fans” of the brand while providing the option to receive product updates.
Starbucks has more than 3.7m fans on the social networking site while Coca-Cola has more than 3.5m fans.
Facebook does not currently charge companies to have a fan page or application on the site.
